Latest
in a series of efforts to help patients receive “Whole Health Services”

Modesto, Calif. – Memorial
Medical Center, part of Sutter Health, has implemented an Emergency Department Navigator
Program to help with efforts to ensure area patients are receiving health care in
the right place at the right time.

As a not-for-profit health care network, Sutter
Health strives to make the community healthier—this includes doing our part to create
a sustainable environment. From conservation and recycling to green construction,
Sutter Health finds and implements eco-friendly practices that nurture our communities
and allow us to continue providing the high-quality care and exceptional service our
patients expect and deserve.

Industry Background and Trends

Health
care facilities by their very nature use a great deal of natural resources. Over the
past several years, these facilities have been able to implement changes thanks to
a focus on energy efficiency and conservation within the industry. Now, many new hospitals
incorporate sustainable design into their very early planning stages. That means designing
for energy efficiency, reducing water consumption, improving indoor air quality, making
better building material choices and reducing the overall environmental impact of
health care operations.

“Across our
network, we work relentlessly to provide exceptional care quality, safety and service
for our patients,” said Stephen Lockhart, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer for Sutter
Health. “This national ranking demonstrates how, by partnering with one another and
other quality and safety experts, we make a difference for communities across Northern
California.”

Using 28 measures of publicly available safety data, the Hospital
Safety Score assigns A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals based
on their ability to prevent errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

“As we partner to deliver a high-value, personalized experience for
patients, our electronic health record enables our care teams to make significant
strides in clinical quality, safety, connectivity and efficiency,” said Sutter Health
President and CEO Pat Fry. “These Stage 7 designations from HIMSS honor the complex,
thoughtful work of our clinical care and information services teams to better support
our more than 3 million patients and their families.”

Sutter
Health announced today a quarter-million-dollar-plus donation to 29 food banks across
Northern California and Hawaii. The donation by the not-for-profit health system enables
local food banks to serve more than 1 million nutritious meals to those in need this
winter.

“A nutritious diet plays an important role in improving overall health
and wellness and can even help protect against diseases such as diabetes, heart disease
and certain types of cancer,” said Pat Fry, president and CEO of Sutter Health. “We’re
partnering with our food bank neighbors to help families stay healthy—and well nourished.”

On
average, every dollar donated to food banks translates to more than four meals served.
Over the past six years, our donations to community food banks total more than $1.4
million, which benefits countless individuals and families.

Today,
not-for-profit Sutter Health announces an $11.5 million commitment to install overhead
patient lifts at 19 intensive care units and acute rehabilitation centers across its
Northern California network. Three years ago, the network invested an initial $11.5
million to install overhead lifts at 21 affiliate sites.

Overhead patient lifts
make repositioning and moving patients easier, safer and less strenuous for caregivers.
Initial outcomes from Sutter-affiliated hospitals with overhead lifts show that employee
injuries from lifting and repositioning patients have dropped by more than 50 percent
since 2011. The not-for-profit network anticipates even better outcomes as it installs
additional lifts and employees become more familiar with using them.

Sutter Health-affiliated hospitals welcomed
several precious little ones on New Year’s Day. Cheers to all the families who welcomed
a baby at the start of the New Year! Meet some of Northern California’s newest residents
below.

Nearly
200 physician groups, representing approximately 35,000 physicians who provide care
for about 10 million patients, participate in the IHA statewide Pay for Performance
(P4P) program. In addition to celebrating top performers, IHA honored physician organizations
that demonstrated the most quality improvement from 2011 to 2012. Sutter Medical Network
members honored include:

“We’ve been focused for several
years on transforming how we deliver medical care; integrating doctors and hospitals
and proactively managing the unique health needs of patients, not just when they need
medical attention but before they get sick,” said Jeff Burnich, M.D. senior vice president
and executive officer for the Sutter Medical Network. “IHA’s P4P awards help us evaluate
and recognize our progress on this long-term goal.”

The not-for-profit
Sutter Health network of doctors and hospitals announced it will
name its new health plan Sutter Health Plus.

“Sutter Health Plus builds on our
network’s recently refreshed brand—We Plus You,” said Monica Majors, vice president
of sales and marketing for the new HMO. “The name reflects our commitment to build
strong partnerships with patients, employers and physicians.”

Initially, Sutter
Health Plus will offer a range of HMO plans to individuals and small and mid-sized
employers in the Greater Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley regions. Marketing activities
will get underway early this summer for fall open enrollment and plan coverage will
begin Jan. 1, 2014.